Long Beach State University Athletics
Dirtbags Head to Hawaii For Three
3/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 6, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
LONG BEACH--No. 9-ranked Long Beach State (6-2), following a 5-2 win on Tuesday over Loyola Marymount, will travel to the University of Hawaii (5-6) for a three-game series, leaving Thursday morning and returning Monday afternoon, prior to hosting Western Illinois next Tuesday. LBSU has won four-straight.
It will also be a homecoming for catcher Kip Masuda, who played at Mid-Pacific High.
The Dirtbags will send the same three to the hill this weekend that has won them the previous two weekend series over ranked opponents, No. 6-ranked Rice (two of three) and No. 7-ranked Wichita State (sweep).
This will be just the third through fifth times the two programs have met, going 1-1. LBSU won their first NCAA Regional in 1989 against Hawaii and have not met since.
RHP Andrew Liebel (0-0, 0.00) will get the start against Warrior RHP Jared Alexander (2-1, 0.43) on Friday at 8:30 p.m. Pacific, prior to RHP Vance Worley (1-0, 4.05) pitching against LHP Nicholas Rhodes (0-0, 7.04). In Sunday's finale, freshman RHP Jacob Thompson (1-1, 2.08) will oppose RHP Matt Daly (2-0, 4.34).
Liebel has struck out 22 and walked just two this season, giving up just one unearned run, striking out a career-best 11, twice. Liebel won a team-best nine games last year.
The Warriors lost three of four in Surprise, AZ last weekend, beating Northern Illinois and losing to Portland, Michigan and Arizona State. OF Evan Zimy leads Hawaii in hitting at .471, while OF Brandon Haislet is batting .421 with a team-best 12 runs. The Warriors are batting .283, but host a 5.64 ERA. On four pitchers have ERAs under 5.00.
The Dirtbags have posted a 1.89 ERA this season, thanks to six quality starts. LBSU is batting .233, led by SS Danny Espinosa's .469 average and team-best 11 runs and .719 slugging percentage, while 1B Shane Peterson is batting .393 with a team-best 11 RBIs. Peterson was named the Big West's Player of the Week, following up Espinosa's opening weekend against Rice.
